A judge is expected to rule Wednesday on a request for a restraining order to protect Los Angeles Police Commission President Matt Johnson against a Black Lives Matter activist accused of threatening him and appearing at his home and law office.
The city’s attempt to obtain the order against Trevor Ferguson represents a new high-water mark in the conflict between Black Lives Matter protesters and the commission, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday morning.
Ferguson, who denies that he threatened Johnson, is part of a group that often disrupts the Police Commission’s weekly meetings by chanting and speaking out of turn to express outrage at Los Angeles police shootings of blacks and Latinos.
Johnson is one of two African American police commissioners. At meetings, Ferguson and others have called Johnson a “houseboy” amid demands that police Chief Chief Charlie Beck resign and the entire department be disbanded.
In a court declaration, Johnson alleged that Ferguson made a “gratuitous reference to his children” at a November police commission meeting and stated at another meeting that Johnson should be scared of him, The Times reported.
Ferguson has mouthed threats to Johnson, including that he would beat up Johnson and kill him, according to the court declaration. Because the threats were not spoken aloud, there is no recording of them, the declaration said.
Ferguson, 35, defended his actions as lawful protest, saying he has never crossed the line from insults to threats, The Times reported. He has never mouthed anything at Johnson, he said.
“To say I threatened him with physical harm is a gross overstatement and out of proportion,” said Ferguson, a rap artist and music producer who is also known as Trevor Gerard, according to The Times.
